Descending the North Summit

It's not over when you reach the summit. Here, Craig Lintz has downclimbed, roped, to the slabs that will take us to the South summit, where we can begin the descent of the Kain route. Snowpatch Spire is behind him, and beyond is Anniversary Peak. Marmolata is to the right. From the trail to the hut the Hounds Tooth looks like a dramatic peak, but it's a lower east shoulder of Marmolata. It's hidden behind Snowpatch here. Note the wind-carved snow ridge under the W. face of Snowpatch. If you climb Snowpatch, the standard descent takes you straight down a gully at the far end of the face, then just walk the snow ridge back to Bugaboo-Snowpatch col, closest to us. The col is about level with the Vowell Glacier (9,000' - 2,700m), but about 600 feet above the Crescent Gl.